A Case Study in Transformation

Leadership Development at the US Army College

As Chair of Defense Transformation at the US Army College, Martinez worked with senior leaders (US and foreign military officers, civilian leaders in the US Department of Defense and the State Department) to accelerate leadership development and to achieve a complex level of understanding of the process of change in organizations.

As part of her work, Martinez conducted confidential assessments of individual leadership development level using the Leadership Development Profile (also known as the SCTi-MAP).  She followed up with individual coaching sessions with each leader to review the results of the assessment and discuss with each individual how they could best use the insights gained to support their program of personal growth.

Conversations during counseling sessions were designed to help clients develop specific strategies for leadership development and effectiveness in the context of their professional and personal lives.  Along with individual coaching, Martinez and members of this group of leaders discussed together systemic changes that were sought at an organizational and institutional level in seminar sessions for a period of several months.  In frank and open discussions, together they examined the transformation needs in the US Department of Defense, its linkage to change in other governmental agencies, as well as what individual and  collective capabilities were necessary so that the organization could become more adaptable, responsive, productive, and innovative.

The great majority of these leaders viewed the assessment, coaching and seminar discussions as valuable preparation for their work as change agents in different departments and agencies of the U.S. and foreign governments, especially those related to national and international security.